William Henry Waddington (11 December 182613 January 1894) was a French

statesman A statesman or stateswoman typically is a politician who has had a long and respected political career at the national or international level. Statesman or Statesmen may also refer to: Newspapers United States * ''The Statesman'' (Oregon), a ...

who served as

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

in 1879, and as an Ambassador of France.

Early life and education

Waddington was born at the

Château A château (; plural: châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking regions. No ...

of Saint-Rémy in

Eure-et-Loir Eure-et-Loir (, locally: ) is a French department, named after the Eure and Loir rivers. It is located in the region of Centre-Val de Loire. In 2019, Eure-et-Loir had a population of 431,575.cotton manufacturing business in France, Établissements Waddington fils et Cie. His father and mother Anne (née Chisholm) were both naturalised French citizens, and Waddington received his early education at the

Lycée Louis-le-Grand The Lycée Louis-le-Grand (), also referred to simply as Louis-le-Grand or by its acronym LLG, is a public Lycée (French secondary school, also known as sixth form college) located on rue Saint-Jacques in central Paris. It was founded in the ...

in Paris. He was then sent to

Rugby School Rugby School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain. ...

in Britain, supervised by his uncle Walter Shirley. After Rugby, he was admitted to

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...

; he took an MA degree, having won Second Prize in

Classics Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

as well as the prestigious

Chancellor's Gold Medal The Chancellor's Gold Medal is a prestigious annual award at Cambridge University for poetry, paralleling Oxford University's Newdigate Prize. It was first presented by Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh during his time as ...

. Waddington rowed in the victorious Cambridge eight in the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race on the

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

in race of March 1849; he did not take part in the repeat race in December that year, which Oxford won.

Career

Archaeological research

Returning to France, Waddington devoted himself for some years to

archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

research. He travelled throughout

Asia Minor Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

and

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

, and his experiences and discoveries are detailed in two ''Mémoires'', the first produced by the

French Institute The (; ) is a French learned society, grouping five , including the Académie Française. It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the institute ...

and subsequently in his ''Mélanges de numismatique et de philologie'' ("Numismatic and Philological Miscellanies", 1861). Except for his essay on "The Protestant Church in France", published in 1856 in ''Cambridge Essays'', his remaining works all concerned

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsc ...

. They include his ''Fastes des Provinces Asiatiques de l'Empire Romain'' ("The Governor-Lists of the Asiatic Provinces of the Roman Empire", 1872), and editions of

Diocletian Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...

's ''

Edict on Maximum Prices The Edict on Maximum Prices (Latin: ''Edictum de Pretiis Rerum Venalium'', "Edict Concerning the Sale Price of Goods"; also known as the Edict on Prices or the Edict of Diocletian) was issued in 301 AD by Diocletian. The document denounces mon ...

'' and of

Philippe Le Bas Philippe Le Bas (18 June 1794 in Paris – 19 May 1860 in Paris) was a French hellenist, archaeologist and translator. He was the son of Philippe Le Bas and Elisabeth Duplay, the daughter of Robespierre's landlord Maurice Duplay. He was only 6 w ...

' ''Voyage archéologique'' (1868–1877). A

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

, in 1865, Waddington was also elected a

member Member may refer to: * Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon * Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set * In object-oriented programming, a member of a class ** Field (computer science), entries in ...

of the

Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres The Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres () is a French learned society devoted to history, founded in February 1663 as one of the five academies of the Institut de France. The academy's scope was the study of ancient inscriptions (epigr ...

Chamber of Deputies

After contesting the

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair, a chair ...

of the

Aisne Aisne ( , ; ; pcd, Ainne) is a French department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. It is named after the river Aisne. In 2019, it had a population of 531,345.Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourbon R ...

unsuccessfully in 1865 and 1860, Waddington was elected as

Deputy Deputy or depute may refer to: * Steward (office) * Khalifa, an Arabic title that can signify "deputy" * Deputy (legislator), a legislator in many countries and regions, including: ** A member of a Chamber of Deputies, for example in Italy, Spain, ...

in January 1871. In 1873, he was appointed Minister of Public Instruction in Prime Minister Dufaure's short-lived second government of 18–24 May 1873.also see Gouvernement Jules Dufaure II (french)

Senator for the Aisne

William Henry Waddington, Vanity Fair, 1878-09-28

On 30 January 1876, he was elected Senator for Aisnewww.senat.fr
/ref> and was again nominated by Prime Minister Dufaure to the ministerial brief of Public Instruction. He was charged with devising a

Bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Pla ...

transferring extra powers to the State, a tricky task which he negotiated through the Chamber, but was defeated in the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

. He continued to hold office under

Jules Simon Jules François Simon (; 31 December 1814 – 8 June 1896) was a French statesman and philosopher, and one of the leaders of the Moderate Republicans in the Third French Republic. Biography Simon was born at Lorient. His father was a linen-dra ...

's premiership until being thrown out during the ''

Seize mai The 16 May 1877 crisis (french: link=no, Crise du seize mai) was a constitutional crisis in the French Third Republic concerning the distribution of power between the president and the legislature. When the royalist president Patrice MacMaho ...

'' constitutional crisis (16 May 1877). The triumph of the Republicans in the following October 1877 General Election returned Waddington to government as

Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between co ...

, again under Prime Minister Dufaure. He was one of the French plenipotentiaries at the

Berlin Congress The Congress of Berlin (13 June – 13 July 1878) was a diplomatic conference to reorganise the states in the Balkan Peninsula after the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78, which had been won by Russia against the Ottoman Empire. Represented at th ...

(1878). The cession of

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ...

to the United Kingdom was, at first, perceived by the

French newspapers Below is a list of newspapers in France. National Daily ; Online newspapers * ''Mediapart'' (internet only, investigative journalism) * ''La Tribune'' (switched to internet only since 2012, economics) * ''Slate'' * ''Atlantico'' * '' Co ...

as a great blow to his diplomatic reputation, until it became clear that his discussions with Lord Salisbury had resulted in Britain's agreement to allow France a free hand in

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

. In 1885, he was re-elected for the senate.

Prime Minister of France

Early in 1879 Waddington agreed to take over from Jules Dufaure as a caretaker

with the agreement of

Léon Gambetta Léon Gambetta (; 2 April 1838 – 31 December 1882) was a French lawyer and republican politician who proclaimed the French Third Republic in 1870 and played a prominent role in its early government. Early life and education Born in Cahors, Ga ...

. He kept peace between the radicals and the reactionaries till the delay of urgent reforms lost him the support of all parties. He stepped down on 27 December. He refused the immediate offer of ambassadorship to London, preferring to take up the role in 1880 of

rapporteur A rapporteur is a person who is appointed by an organization to report on the proceedings of its meetings. The term is a French-derived word. For example, Dick Marty was appointed ''rapporteur'' by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Eur ...

to the

parliamentary committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...

for the ''Scrutin de liste'' (of elections); he delivered an adverse judgment.

Waddington's Government, 5 February28 December 1879

* William Henry Waddington – President of the Council and

* Henri François Xavier Gresley –

Minister of Defence A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

* Émile de Marcère –

Minister of the Interior An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...

and Worship *

Léon Say Jean-Baptiste-Léon Say (6 June 1826, Paris – 21 April 1896, Paris) was a French statesman and diplomat. One of the 19th-century's noted economists, he served as French Finance Minister from 1872 until 1883. Biography The Say family is a mos ...

–

Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", ...

Philippe Le Royer Philippe Elie Le Royer was a French and Swiss politician from the 19th century, who served as the president of the French Senate and as the minister of Justice. Early life Philippe Le Royer was born in Geneva, Switzerland in 1816 to a notable Swi ...

–

Minister of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

Jean Bernard Jauréguiberry Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Je ...

– Minister of Marine and Colonies *

Jules Ferry Jules François Camille Ferry (; 5 April 183217 March 1893) was a French statesman and republican philosopher. He was one of the leaders of the Moderate Republicans and served as Prime Minister of France from 1880 to 1881 and 1883 to 1885. He ...

– Minister of Public Instruction * Charles de Freycinet – Minister of Public Works * Adolphe Cochery – Minister of Posts and Telegraphs * Charles Lepère – Minister of Agriculture and Commerce Ministerial changes *4 March 1879Charles Lepère succeeded Marcère as Minister of the Interior and Worship; and

Pierre Tirard Pierre Emmanuel Tirard (; 27 September 1827 – 4 November 1893) was a French politician. Biography He was born to French parents in Geneva, Switzerland. After studying in his native town, Tirard became a civil engineer. After five years of gov ...

succeeded Lepère as Minister of Agriculture and Commerce.

French Ambassador to London

In 1883 Waddington accepted the appointment and dignity of ''Ambassadeur de France'' to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. He held this post for ten years until 1893, during which time his wife, Mary Alsop King, wrote some recollections of their diplomatic experiences – ''Letters of a Diplomat's Wife, 1883–1900'' (New York, 1903), and ''Italian Letters of a Diplomat's Wife'' (1904), which were published after her husband's death.

Personal life

Waddington's first wife, whom he married in 1850, was Mathilde (died 1852), daughter of the banker, ; they had a son Henri (1852–1939), a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in the

Chasseurs Alpins The ''chasseurs alpins'' ( en, Alpine Rangers) are the elite mountain infantry force of the French Army. They are trained to operate in mountainous terrain and in urban warfare. History France created its own mountain corps in the late 19th ...

(

French Army History Early history The first permanent army, paid with regular wages, instead of feudal levies, was established under Charles VII of France, Charles VII in the 1420 to 1430s. The Kings of France needed reliable troops during and after the ...

), who married Émilie de La Robertie. In Paris in 1874, Waddington married his second wife, Mary Alsop King (died 1923), an American-born

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

from New York City, daughter of

Congressman A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...

Charles King, 9th President of Columbia College (by his second wife, the travel writer, Henrietta Liston Low). They had one son, Francis Richard, who married (18 January 1903, Paris) Charlotte, daughter of Vice-Admiral Jean-Charles-Alexandre Sallandrouze de Lamornaix. Charlotte was the granddaughter of Charles Sallandrouze de Lamornaix.

Honours

Grand-Croix,

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

* Hon. LLD (Cantab)

References

Sources

External links

* The Rowers of Vanity Fair – Waddington, William Henry
www.ambafrance-uk.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waddington, William Henry 1826 births 1894 deaths Sportspeople from Eure-et-Loir French people of English descent French Protestants Politicians from Centre-Val de Loire French republicans Prime Ministers of France French Foreign Ministers Members of the National Assembly (1871) French Senators of the Third Republic Senators of Aisne Ambassadors of France to the United Kingdom 19th-century French diplomats French archaeologists French numismatists French male non-fiction writers 19th-century French historians 19th-century British male writers People educated at Rugby School Lycée Louis-le-Grand alumni Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Cambridge University Boat Club rowers French male rowers Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London Members of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres Members of the Prussian Academy of Sciences Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery